Smoker for curing meats



T. G. CRANE Oct. '19, 1926. 1,603,519

SMOKER FOR CURING MEATS Filed April 10, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet'l Theodore &Cz azze Oct. 19 1926M.

T. G. CRANE SMOKER FOR CURING MEATS Filed April 10, 1925 2. Sheets-Sheeta IIIIIIIIIIIII.

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VE 77260520 6 6. Crane Patented Oct. 19, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIQE.

THEODORE G. CRANE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SMOKER FOR CURING MEATS.

Application filed April 10, 1925. Serial No. 22,044.

This invention relates to an oil gas heater and wood smoke producer formeat curing establishments.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved portable meatsmoker operated on liquid fuels. To accomplish these results, a gasgenerating type of oil burner is provided to insure clean combustion ofthe fuel and to provide the heat necessary to maintain the propertemperature in the smoke house in addition to the slow combustion ofsawdust to produce the desired wood smoke. It is essential to theproduction of cured meats of the proper flavor that no trace of soot,smoke, or odor be produced during the combustion of the primary fuel.

It is also an object of this invention to provide an improved andsimplified type of oil gas smoker adapted to easy control by unskilledoperation.

Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparentfrom the disclosures in the specification and the accompanying drawings.

This invention (in a preferred form) 1s illustrated in the drawings andhereinafter more fully described.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a device embodying the features of thisinvention.

Figure 2 is a front or end elevation thereof.

Figure 3 is a top plan view thereof.

I Figure 4 is a section on the line t-t of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Figure 4-, showing the burneror arrange ments.

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary section on the line 77, showingdetail of the combustion air inlets.

Figure. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary section on the line 8 8, showingthe adjustable air outlets.

Figure 9 is a section on the line 99 of Flgure 8.

As shown on the drawings:

A boxlike casing 10 is provided with suitable legs 11 and a slidingdrawer like bottom 12 to carry the burners. The top 13 of the box isformed as a sliding tray to receive the sawdust which is burned toproduce the smoke for curing the meats. This tray is provided with aseries of apertures 1 f centrally arranged in a longitudinal directionand covered by a hood 15 allowing outflow of the highly heated productsof combustion from the burner box to ignite and burn the sawdust withthe maximum production of smoke. The production of smoke depends on arestricted oxygen supply and by using the products of combustion fromthe. heating elements to supply the oxygen for the combustion of thesawdust, a pungent and effective smoke is produced.

Air inlets 16 in the bottom of the box are provided with hoods 17directing the inflowing air against the sides of the box for properdiffusion before passing to the burners. Suitable sliding draft doors orvents 18 are provided along the sides ofthe box below the top toregulate or distribute the heat uniformly through theqsmoke house. Thesawdust tray may also be slid back a suitable distance to provide adirect outlet to the room to increase the heating effect.

The front of the burner drawer 12 carries an oil manifold 19 suppliedthrough a flexible line 20 from a storage tank. This manifold isprovided with individual burner supply outlets 21 with regulating valves22, and also with a bleeder outlet 23 for draining the fuel line and forremoving entrained air when first filling the fuel system.

A series of gas generating burners 24 are arranged on burner bases 25having a trough 26 adapted to receive the bottom part 27 of the burner,the trough serving to receive liquid fuel, the burning of which heatsthe generating burner to a temperature suflicient to convert the liquidfuel into a gas. The burner itself comprises an inverted V-shapedgenerating section 28 adapted to be heated to convert the fuel into agas and terminating in the plugged bottom member 27 which has an orificepositioned beneath the apex of the generating section so that theburning gas plays over the whole generating section.

After filling the fuel system and releasing the entrained air throughthe bleeder outlet, the various burner valves 22 are opened long enoughto fill the trough 26 in the burner bases with liquid fuel. This fuelpreferably kerosene, is then ignited and the heat therefrom serves tostart the generator sections of the burners to function. It is to beunderstood that the regulating valves are close-d during the warming upoperation and when the burners are hot enough the valves are slowlyopened. If the burner orifices squirt a liquid stream the generatorsections are not hot enough and the regulating valves are again closed.The smoke house heat can be regulated by adjustment of the draft doorsand by sliding the sawdust pan back.

I am aware that many changes may be made, and numerous details oi?construction may be varied through a wide range without departing fromthe principles of this invention, and I therefore do not purposelimiting the patent granted hereon, otherwise than necessitated by theprior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. A meat curing apparatus comprising a casing, a pan thereabove adaptedto receive a smoke producing material, oil gas generating burners withinsaid casing adapted to burn the smoke producing material and to heat thesurrounding atmosphere, and means for adjusting the proportion of heatdirected towards heating the atmosphere.

2. In a device of the class described, a casing, a drawer therein,vaporizing oil burners mounted on said drawer, a plurality of adjustableoutlets in said casing for heated air, and a pan resting on said casingadapted to receive a smoke producing substance.

3. In a device of the class described, a

casing, a drawer therein, vaporizing oil burners mounted on said drawer,a plurality of adjustable outlets in said casing for heated air, areceptacle for smoke producing material forming the top of the casing,and outlets for the heated products of combus tion through said pan andsaid smoke pro ducing material.

a. In a device of the class described, a casing, a sliding top thereforadapted 'to receive combustible smoke producing material, a hoodextending above said sliding top and having outlets for the products orcombustion within said casing, said outlets being adjacent the surfacethe sliding top, and oil burners within said casing.

5. In a device of the class described, a casing, a sliding top thereforadapted to receive con'il'iustible smoke producing material, a hoodextending above said sliding top and having outlets for the products ofcombustion within said casing, said outlets be ing adjacent the surfacethe sliding top, a drawer in said casing, and a plurality ofindividually controlled oil burners mounted on said drawer.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

THEODORE G. CRANE.

